


Nectar (Delight)

by blindtaleteller



Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [17]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bath Houses, Bathing/Washing, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Past Abuse, Survival, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Vanaheimr | Vanaheim, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindtaleteller/pseuds/blindtaleteller
Summary: Finally over the Fence, Loki and the Bartons are near the end of their almost two week long trip though the wilds of Vanaheim. Safer than ever with the Psyche behind them and a short morning ride to the last doorway to Asgard in front of them; the reality of being close to going home is starting to close in. Which means, decisions have to be made; and at least one definition found and handled... where, and with who; -is- home, now?
Relationships: loki/barton family, platonic - Relationship
Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999015
Kudos: 2
Collections: Loki, Platonic Relationships, Prompted Writing





	Nectar (Delight)

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this is Door/Universe 14's Cuyler (Barton) and Flykra (Loki [translation : snowflake]) and.. it also contains one of the very brief moments that I really wanted to include them for: particularly the moments when their Monikers take form and are first given out loud: not by other members of the Coven, but by and for each other as their bond is finally being consciously recognized.
> 
> I have a particular love of Barton, and though I'll ship Loki with just about anyone (which isn't hard at all most days and in most circumstances, especially in this AU series) Clint is maybe the easiest and hardest to make a thing; with a lot of story and yes angst potential to it that I love the dynamic of between them when it comes to writing for the muses.
> 
> I have to mention Barton's abuse, and the use of the Hawkeye tag: because while it's not yet confirmed as a part of Clint's background in the MCU: I will say now I refuse and will defend the use of it and his drive in the comics fueled by the want and need to be better than his abuser as a child to the day I die. Fight me if you wanna on that? But hell no, I am not abandoning that part of him, whom the MCU version is based off of.
> 
> I've covered that on tumblr, I know. But it needed saying. And it deserves recognition, along with Hawkeye himself.  
> ~--Anywho! Hope you enjoy the read. I really do love Flyk and Cuyler. Makes me anxious to get to their book in Mixology..! XD

  * IDENTIFY LOCATION: FLYKRA - INTER-DIMENSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED : HVRA0616-9H-14
  * \---INTER-UNIVERSAL DOORWAY ENTRY POINT H14 : OBSERVATIONAL STATUS - TVA INTERFERENCE: _OBSERVATION ACTIVITY DETECTED_
  * \----VANAHEIM : THE VANIR WILDS - VISITATION CAUTIONS _CAUTION ADVISED_ : THE BLACK HILLS/THE HEALING MOUNTAINS - TIRUGG'S PASSING
  * \------KNOWN DOMESTIC TIME VARIANCE : 11:14 PM



##  -\\\N e c t a r//-

He knew they were thinking about it as they washed. Even without glancing back to catch Barton's eyes with his after the nearest geyser went off again to start the sequence over, Loki could tell. It was on all of their minds though; since they had left the stark line of the Fence behind, wasn't it. Peacock hues were looking back at him the same after watching the jet of water ascend the cliff it helped keep carved the same. Asking the same unspoken question before Loki pulled his eyes forward again and let Barton finish scrubbing his back of the last few days of tire, even if he couldn't work the tension that remained out. Laura was in the other pool with the children, helping them get clean in the shallower spring while the Hart rested and nibbled on dark, succulent vine like greens crawling their way up the chasm's walls.

It wasn't so difficult to see what Barton saw in her after the three weeks to a near month they had spent surviving between Jotunheim and here on Vanaheim. Observant. Quick to ask questions, but slow to panic. She knew how to use a sidearm when needed, though they had run out of ammunition on his birth world: and almost never needed things explained twice. She also had very pretty hair, he had decided, at some point; and sharp eyes: and the rest of her was in very good shape for a woman who had gone through the rigors of having given birth twice. Not that he thought that last had too much to do with it. " You keep staring at my wife like that and I might start thinking you're getting ideas. " was definitely a jest from Barton's end when he tossed the cloth at Loki's shoulder. " Get mine? I feel like I'm carrying around an extra five pounds of skin back there. "

" ...a lovely thought, " was half snorted as Barton turned his back to him and Loki naturally started one handed with his neck with his fingers working the lather in circles at either side of it along the way; and getting a grunt of satisfaction from the Archer when he felt some of the tension there go with it. " ..then again, probably not inaccurate given how little we could stop along the stream. " Also, why he was so damned grateful they had come out almost exactly where he'd wanted them to: and found the old abandoned bath fairly quickly. The bloody bath was nectar for the soul, it was.

Under the eyes and at the edges of the psyche's reach, hadn't been a good place to take the time to bathe, at all; as they'd come closer to their barrier at the edge of the Black Hills. The itch had been driving him half mad every time he'd gotten off the horse, and the inability to spend what water they had to wash their clothes hadn't helped either. So the bath was very much a sweet and welcome thing.

" How much farther we got, any way? " as he worked from one of Clint's shoulders to the other almost scrunching his fingers along the surface before rinsing it and reaching for the soap again made him shrug before he answered. Though that especially had been on his mind the last day, clearing the Hills into the pass. " Again, I don't take this way often; but I have come through this particular passage many more times. I doubt it's moved far ....so. Ten, almost eleven miles; though on horseback we'll have to be more careful than in one of my knives. So it may take us half the morning. "

Quiet after the hum to let Loki know he had been heard; and he knew why: saw the look back Laura gave him being met and said nothing. Those kinds of looks had come a great deal in Jotunheim, at the beginning; and dipped off somewhere before they had left the hoarfrost dipped planet and it's chill behind. He doubted they were thinking the same things. Doubted they saw all the glances he gave that magicked box strapped to his saddle they kept the Scepter and Tesseract in, almost forgotten. Almost, until they had cleared the almost too-perfect near sheared thick line of psyche that formed the last of the Fence behind. He knew Clint was as aware of them again now as he was though.

Knew Laura was looking that way now and then too; and though Loki didn't think she understood what was hiding, tucked and bound together with magic none of the Bartons understood to keep both stones silenced in the case he'd expended too much to bring through from Lua: he knew she understood it was an obstacle of some kind. May be, just for the fact they did look that way so often now. And it was an obstacle, of sorts. Or rather, it was the reminder of the obstacles waiting ahead; and how close to Asgard they were coming. And therefor how close to going home; or back to what was left of it after the firebombs that had been dropped on the unsuspecting house behind them.

" ...think we should talk about that while we can, actually. " jarred Loki's mind and blue eyes from the box fast enough to see Clint had turned his head while the former prince had been mindlessly scrubbing at his back; and was looking at him. " One thing I've learned about you over the course of all this; you pretty much never don't have a plan where it matters. " was a true enough thing and likely fairly obvious by now. " What're you gonna do when we get into it again, now that plan A's very obviously botched? "

Honestly, that wasn't something he thought he should share at all, if he had one; but the truth was in this case: " Too much time has passed for me to be able to answer that past going home, for the moment. I need to assess the situation as I can, on all fronts before I _can_ honestly answer that." Which, Clint didn't seem to like much by the way he briefly pursed his lips during the hum of an initial response: but then, neither did he. " I don't like going in blind when it comes to things of this nature. " was in fact another easy truth. " Though I imagine I will not really have to look farther than Earth and Asgard for what answers I might need along those lines. "

Quiet again, and he could hear Barton's mind grinding through those answers.His question surprised him though, when it did come up. " I gotta ask: where _is_ home? Lua, I mean. "and Clint realized it too when he looked back at him over his shoulder at the lean of his cheek over his own knee and arm propped over it. He did have very interesting eyes. That was something he hadn't noticed, in New Mexico; or in California. Then again, he hadn't been near enough to see them clearly either. He had thought they were blue; but they weren't. Oh the color was there, but it was closer to green and gold-speckled teal, with very little actual blue to it. " ..you always call Asgard by name; same with Jotunheim. But you ah, called Lua that more than a few times yesterday; when you were telling Lila about it. "

_Ah. Had I?_

And he decided, yes; he had. And that was accurate, wasn't it?

Not that it took much to consider, or think about to just let it slide. " Mm. That fits. It has been a long year. More than, a year; now that I think about it. And, Asgard is difficult to consider as home these days. " came first. But answering the rest? That came down to a decision he was still wobbly on, at the foundations. He mulled it over again; and again, before he did answer: working more soap in before he was at the back of Clint's arms where it was more difficult for him to reach cleanly. " I'm not sure I should tell you, the same. Not yet. It may be safer just to keep the details of where from you, for safety's sake. I will say it is in space though. And not _too_ terribly far from Midgard. "

" Our safety or yours? "

" Both and more. " was a quick back and forth between them that he left Clint to guess at; though it seemed he wasn't contented with that for long, and unlike previous intonations of his hums; this one told him as much before he asked, whether Loki was ready with the answer or not. " You got an idea what to do with us, then? "

Which, he wasn't. " I have some thoughts. " was quick enough off his lips the same. " In part, it will depend on how things have developed on Midgard in particular; where and how closely they are both watching. They'll not have thought to look to Jotunheim or Vanaheim. Not likely even Asgard. Not yet. But they will.. I would prefer to be away and settling into my own looks by then. "

" Well.. Earth can't do much other than look the world over for you. Which, I'm pretty sure you know by now. Asgard have a way to look, then? "

" They do when I am not blocking those eyes, yes. " came out without thinking much of it. And as Clint didn't ask, he took that the slip had been passed over. " There is, a man there who can see clearly ahead of the Bifrost, just as a start. He'll search every nook and cranny of Midgard first; looking thoroughly for signs of me since he knows in these days I can, block his view: and taken note of the few signs at this stage. He doesn't know about these roads though. The only one I shared even a fraction of them with until now, has been my mother; and perhaps my grandmothers once or twice. Though I suspect the Grandwitches might know even more of them than I. "

" Grandwitches? As in both your grandmas were, witches? " made Loki smile, in part because Clint hadn't questioned that they were witches, only that particular bit: and because he caught the implication there with the word both very easily.

" All three of them, yes. " helped pull him along the idea pretty quickly.

Before, the interest had unnerved Loki; and plucked at his suspicious nature, if not the truthfully paranoid portion of his personality that ..he _had to admit_ had grown over the past year and more especially. That wasn't to say he trusted the Bartons wholly; but he trusted their lack in ability or desire to use most things to harm him now; and had come to the conclusion that not only was enough to give them some sliver or three of their own from him? But tell him with their behavior and acceptance that they at least had honor enough not to even try for the most part. Laura, especially; and he knew by now that though Clint didn't check her as often as he probably should, especially when his temper was up: his pretty wife was Clint's compass. That was another part, of how they worked. " I never knew Odin's mother. My mother though, she was a true adoption; I think. Raised by three witches; my grandmothers, the Grandwitches. "

Quiet again, and much more pregnant than those before it. Loki knew that feeling too; and the flicking peacock colored stare as he finished with Barton's back; rinsed the cloth and had at his own face again with a hard double-handed fast scrubbing from crown to collar bone that left his skin feeling a comfortably clean kind of raw he appreciated enough to sigh for. Well sigh for that, and the fact that this particular look was still there when his eyes were clear and he gave Clint a glance offering the cloth back. He had truly hoped it wouldn't be. As said, he knew that look. " _...aish._ Go on and ask. I can practically _hear_ the gears in your head grinding on each other. " Did apparently surprise him, if in a good enough way to quirk one side of his mouth into a pleased half smile.

" Sorry. " was the one word that caught on Loki, though it didn't stop there with the quiet earnesty behind it. " Don't wanna pry _too_ hard, even if I _am_ crazy-curious about you. I know by now you get cranky talking about, personal stuff. "

" I don't get _cranky.._ " only served to make that smile broaden to bring up the other side. " ...I simply don't trust any people, easily any more. " though that was not something even he had expected to admit to. And, immediately felt like something he should defend and cover quickly. Not that there was much more than " With good reason. " to throw out along those lines.

" If half of what I've picked up about your foster dad is accurate; _that_ isn't a surprise. " pulled something tight Loki didn't want to look at or think about any more than he had to. It must have shown somewhere in his expression while he was rubbing the extra from his ankles and shins under the hot water too, for the way Barton offered up " Mine was shit _too,_ if it's any consolation. Used to knock me and my brother around when we were little; _and_ my mom, whenever he managed a bottle _or_ she got in the way. _Not_ that he lived long enough to see us grown, either. Drove his shitty car into a tree after a bender. Took her with him when he died. "

This time? The quiet was his. Partially because those words didn't let him bury or turn away from the twisted memories he himself had? And also because he hadn't known. " That; explains quite a few similarities between us. " popped out of his mouth without thinking; and got him a look that was somewhere between the smile and a more serious ..it wasn't a glare;more an examination without words. And he thought he knew the look, this close to it as Barton's shoulders settled back against the natural stone lip of the spring. A whole other list of questions very clear under Clint's brow.

" ...I guess it does, doesn't it. " There were more than a few of his own, with that in particular; and half of them were aimed inwards before Barton aimed at it and fired again. " Why did you choose Fury, anyway..? He's probably the least dependable bastard you could've picked out of that whole room. At least for what you had going. " pulled his head to a slight tilt; in part because Fury had been his superior; and trusted enough at least to know where Barton's children were. " I mean ...Selvic's smart and a natural simp, once you've got his attention. He made sense to me; but Nick, while he had all the clearance was risky at best with his connections alone, not to mention the fact he's got a lot more self importance to the ego riding under that eyepatch than he likes folk to know. Why him? "

Honestly, the question still made him angry; and not at Barton, in particular. Because he'd known that. That, and Fury's other dueling qualities had made him a risk he'd known he was taking at the time. " I suppose you've earned that one. " came out as an annoyed grumble as a result. " I didn't, honestly. I _settled,_ for him; when you withdrew after the first couple of shots. "

" I ..don't think I'm reading that right. " wasn't entirely honest, whether he realized it or not.

" _I_ think you're reading it _very well,_ and underestimating yourself in the process. " was more honest than he was comfortable meeting Barton's eyes for, though when no reply came; and he looked up at the disbelief there? Loki had to say it more clearly. " Selvic requested the same team; remember? Coulson was elsewhere; California I believe: but he wasn't my interest either; after New Mexico. " which pulled up a bit of surprise he had actually been expecting. Barton hadn't known he had been there in twenty eleven. But then; that _had_ been the point of going as he had to meet Thor while he had been in Shield's custody. " Another _simp..?_ As you put it. A true cronie, if a well meaning one with a fairly strong drive. When you retreated out of my reach, Fury at least had some of the leadership skills; and I earnestly thought he might catch you for me. "

The stare, that came with that admission? The near bobbing at the end fall of his head? Might have made him regret saying as much if it weren't for the laugh that came with " You gotta be _shitting_ me. " and " You _have_ to be. There's _**much** better_ out of the team you coulda picked. No way, you were waiting for _me._ "

" None of them were available until after it had formed; and even if they had been none of them _were_ you. " had Clint shaking his head to the point it actually prickled Loki's pride enough to spit out the why and make it clear. " Name another besides Romanov that not a one of your colleagues, superiors, or even underlings argued were good enough, steady enough mentally, skilled enough and driven enough _all_ ; to be put on the same level as a war veteran with extensive experience who can throw small vehicles with some to little effort; another whose mechanical, fiscal and scientific prowess is enough to have him considered a potential threat not only by outside governments but also his own _all by himself_ ; a man who literally cannot completely control whether he becomes a bulletproof, rage fueled, one man army who is equally intelligent when he isn't: and another who is by all accounts marked in your legend as not only a god: but as a lightning slinging god whom might I add, can also nearly fly, when the hammer he probably sleeps with more than he's ever slept with a woman is at hand. "

It was, very satisfying to see that reminder from his perspective mollify Barton. But that little glint of doubt was still needling Loki from the corner of his eyes when he looked away and back towards his kids who; were tossing the wooden ball he had carved out for Lila around the water, apparently. " I wanted **_you._** The man not afraid to stand thirty to forty yards down from the temporary practice range and buzz or nick the ears of every jackass with a glock only ten from the target dumb enough to pick fun at you for aiming a bow at the targets, while you were leaving their terrible groupings far more obviously in the dust. " seemed to both knock any arguments to his very particular choices right out of Clint's mouth, though he thought it best to finish them off. " I hadn't known about your children, _or_ your wife at the time; of course. Selvic didn't have that kind of information, and what I managed to get through him was mostly limited in relation to Thor, and the expected questions and curiosity in that direction after New Mexico. They would have made me second guess the choice though, _before_. Not so much now that I _know_ Laura, and how your children fuel you further; but _mm._ A man with something to lose can be a dangerous thing to keep; _especially_ in a high place close at hand. "

Often, he thought there was a good deal more reason, a personal set now; as to why he would have rethought his choice pick, with what he knew now. Whether he liked it or not though; Loki accepted if somewhat grudgingly that his archer's children, the whole family and how they worked; what they were: had grown on him. If that had been managed farther, before hand; he wasn't certain what he would have done. How or who he would have chosen; but he wasn't certain he could have dragged Barton into it more than he already was as one of those listed as part of the Avengers Initiative.

" That why you snagged me on the sly; and went right for them when he started looking our way? Because of the kids..? " was both a difficult and too easy answer he wasn't sure he was willing to give outright yet, on one hand. On the other; glancing back through the last few weeks, he doubted Barton wouldn't see it anyway. Or hadn't already? No, he had.

Clint was looking for confirmation, at the end of that sentence. Not so much the skin of the answer as the meat of his intentions behind it all, and they both knew it. And, there wasn't much point in not giving it to him. " Yes. And a little for myself as well. I am not Odin; and when it comes to that line, and others near it: I never want to be if I can help it. The only place children should have in a war like this one, is in continuing on with what it teaches afterwards. No child should ever be so unimportant as to be labelled leverage. Fury picked up that particular erasure from the individuals on the other end of the line. I did not expect him to give in that quickly; but it is what it is, now. There's no undoing that. "

Silence, though it didn't last as long as he thought it might. Loki dared another glance? And ended up skewered by what he saw there, that went with the words; much quieter and he saw some awe there, like something he'd said in that small line had touched so deeply on Barton that it had completely shut the other questions and thoughts down. " _..okay yeah;_ didn't think the similarities went that far. But, fair enough. " the breath in had his mouth pursed, and Loki suddenly wanting to chase that, and sharply wishing he had been looking at him to know which part exactly had that affect. " Thanks. " also surprised him a little and made it stronger.

" For what? " had Clint stalling out on the answer, the words not coming right away: and the smile almost as unexpected. " Pretty much, everything you just said; and everything that comes with it. Answers a lot of questions and uh. Makes my end of the decision a lot easier. "

The children were getting out of the water then; dressing, if barely before they literally flopped onto the one mattress they had found that wasn't a half if not completely molded mess amongst those in the old bath's storage once they'd dug them free of the sodden, wooden wreckage of what had remained of the few small buildings around it. He had a prickling feeling again, if slightly better. Or worse, depending on how he looked at it. The sensation that, he wasn't going to be able to leave them behind easily. Hart, or human. The sardonic portions in his head; and yes there were a lot of those, didn't even play but pitched the reminder at him that he would likely regret allowing himself that close. Allowing any of them that close.

The rest though, had at least and at the smallest; the desire to snatch that up, _this_ up: and make them his. Which had been an ongoing, exasperating war from head to what was left of his heart for weeks, truth be told. Ultimately, the choice would be his; wouldn't it. And to put it to rest, he would have to have his own answers. " You could have veered away at any time yourself, since we left Jotunheim. " was one thing that had been standing in his mind the last few weeks. " A risk, but one you could have managed. Given me away and pointed out my presence. Taken yourself to the Vanir lines, or more. "

" I know. Except.. " a long low of breath as they watched Laura tuck the children, Lila already played out for the night, warm and clean and belly full for the first time in days; before the next shot from his archer hit him hard. Far harder than it should have, maybe. " ..you're not the _only_ one sitting here, wanting to be _better_ than his old man. I _won't_ be that guy, that kicks his family while they're down. Especially when they're down, _because_ they're protecting you: newer part of, or not. And let's _not_ pretend we've been anything but. Even if ours _is_ turning out to be a _really_ weird one. "

The silence stayed, after that; leaving Loki to swallow that down, and soak it in with the water. Leaving him a little numb with the shock of not only being claimed and called out like that when Clint reached over and jostled him wordlessly into a partial headlock that left Loki's head on his shoulder; catching the relief heavily mixed into the warm, bright and positively undisguised delight behind her smile seeing what position they were in as Laura made her way to them. He couldn't have felt more naked without stripping every dagger from his tattooed skin, while she set what was passing for towels aside and leaned in to kiss Clint's cheek and without skipping a beat, landed one on top of his head.

" You boys should get out soon, huh? Before we end up melting more than one member of the family? " came with a slight chuckle that just put a bigger crack in the defenses and reasoning and denial and jammed a wedge into it when she scrunched her fingers into his hair and added with a laugh rinsing both off with a reach that told him Clint had gotten the same treatment " Well, maybe after you guys _actually_ wash your hair. "

He complied on a softer sort of numb, and whole other bundle of nerves it exposed. Going through the motions carefully. Tempted to bolt, tempted enough that keeping his face straight and even was a challenge again for the first time in over a year. The look on her face, and Clint's before he'd stopped looking sticking to the back of his eyelids; followed up by Cooper's curiosity and Lila's big smile did not help. Those things were _more than_ being offered to him, and it set him off balance internally.

Laura left them alone after they climbed out; though not before a little quiet flirting between the couple that he was more than content to take as a quiet few minutes aside to collect himself while drying off. The cotton was over his head and working the rest of the wet out of his hair when Clint sat down next to him on the only bench still standing that wasn't cold and said " I meant what I said. Your fault too. " slowed his fingers to a creeping stop. " Laura agrees; _you're **ours.**_ Doesn't matter how it got started any more. We're _not_ gonna turn on you, ever. Not our backs, and _not_ our claws. "

Loki left the cloth there, settling his forearms over his knees. _Could he afford to think that?_

And if he did; could _they_ afford to?

He thought about all the things that could have gone wrong on this journey.

All the things that still could go wrong; and _how much worse_ those things ahead would and could be if that too honest tone were real and any one of them got caught.

Asgard was ahead, not even a quarter of a day's ride: and they were hunting for him. " I am a dangerous creature for a human to keep close. Never mind a _family_ of them. " was a truth he didn't think he could escape at this point; regardless of the choice or whether it had mostly been taken out of the hands of reason or not.

" Yeah; _well._ " Clint brushed the cloth back for him; that arm slipping around his shoulders a strange comfort that, he was more than used to now. " When it comes to your _**particularly** dazzling_ breed of danger, you crazy faerie snowflake? " did bring up Loki's brows. _**What** did Clint just call him?_ " I think you've already _earned **and** charmed us_ past giving _a damn_ about _that._ Besides. " another jostling shake from around his shoulders, like in the water; and yes. He decided he was more than comfortable with it. " We're happy with you; even through all this crazy. Maybe even, _because_ of all this? "a small chuckle of disbelief from Clint saying that told him he was maybe more surprised saying it than Loki was hearing it. " We've asked the kids too, as best we can anyways and: we think we won't be after, _unless_ we stay with you. "

He couldn't answer that. Wondered, if Clint knew; how hard and how deep he'd hit with that particular arrow of honesty. Some of the idea must've been in the air, or the stone he had to flex into his muscle to keep his pride up and the instant temptation of tears back; because, _what?_

" Maybe one day we'll rebuild the old man's farm for five ...or more? But honestly and I've been meaning to say this part for a while: don't feel _bad_ about the house. It was my old man's and; I had plans to rip up the bits he done us wrong in _**way** before_ it went up in smoke. Thinking about it: this whole mess has been stressful but, did me a _whole **lotta**_ favors, since there weren't' many places I wouldn't have been tearing down to it's bones just to get the blood and bruises from my own childhood out of the walls, to feel _really_ comfortable enough raising my own there. I'm so happy to just start from scratch with that mess. Especially with you added in. _Delighted,_ really." 

He had wondered, about that. Most would have been far more upset, losing their place in their world; than either he or Laura had been in the few mentions they'd made of it since. " Watching you work on my new bow makes me a little excited to see your place too. Places, I guess? Bol til Saxl, Lua? " and a slower, closer " _..hey._ " told him Clint had noticed the weight to his lack of motion at the very least, tipping that near Loki's ear to get his peacock eyes when he looked again.

The concern, and the care, and the downright worry he'd been babbling with ending on one question " _No leaving us behind?_ " that knocked all the supports remaining under Loki's doubt out from under the rest standing on them, and left them squirming free but grounded on the stone floor under his own feet. " _Promise me..?_ "

" ...I promise I won't abandon you, unless I have to. " seemed to be briefly enough, though why spouting out after squished all of the worst remaining pieces while they were still writhing on the floor. " Good. 'Cause there's no such animal that's gonna fit that bill for us. You're _ours._ " and going back to drying his own his hair while Loki caught himself staring at Clint when he said from under it. " And _we're **yours,**_ _unconditionally._ That's a done deal. And I kinda think Lila would stab me at this point if I lied and said otherwise, which might actually be fatal these days, 'kay and thank you for teaching her. " got Clint a brief snort, but was actually and probably true enough. " Maybe the pointier, _furrier_ parts of our weird herd would help too, at this stage. Too late to go back now. "

_That's_ what it was.

And Barton wasn't wrong, there.

It was, far too late to look back.

" The Moon. " as a late answer paused Clint well enough to pull his head half out from the towel with a questioning look. " _Lua._ It's a very old name old name for Midgard's moon. That's where it is, on Mare Nectaris; the lunar plains named the Sea of Nectar, in Latin. _That's_ where home is, for now. "

" For now? " only got him a nod, before the end of it was sharpened in being directed at the children, their mother who was settling; and the Hart just beyond them where they had curled. He didn't need to say more than that, and let the feeling wipe over him when that smile cracked wide across Clint's features and pulled out his dimples.

Lua would be home; for as long as _they_ were _in it._

And maybe Missouri, some time later?

Flames and gunfire aside, it _was_ a pretty place.

Wheat fields, the smell of fresh hay and sweeter, chalky smell of dry corn seed.

The young woods that crept along the edges of the fields. He remembered the complaints of disturbed bullfrogs from the irrigation ditches, too.

Nectar on the wind, still slightly disturbed by the bees Barton had on the back lot.

Quiet. Comfortable And a little wild. He'd liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> As a side note, with as little as they gave us about Vanaheim in the MCU, I made up a lot of shit; while trying to stay true to what little we do know about the home of the Vanir in actual mythos. Some who know it may recognize some of the world building ideas, like the Fence and the introduction of the Hart. And the symbolism from the wood to that place and the Black Hills and Healing Mountains beyond, maybe? XD  
> Some of these are straight up depictions of the definitions and descriptions given, others are more metaphoric? I was trying to keep it semi-grounded, without losing the dark faerie feel to it all entirely. Hopefully I managed that?


End file.
